Sir, – Yesterday the teachers unions held the first in a potential series of strikes in protest against the reform of the Junior Cert. Gerry Quinn of the TUI has denied the strikes are related to pay and conditions.
The unions have affirmed the strike is about the fundamental nature and philosophy of education. If we accept the need for a Department of Education, headed by an elected minister, surely it is the responsibility of the department to set the policy. Are teachers looking for a veto on all future educational reform?
What other groups will be allowed to conscientiously object to reforms? Would we accept a strike by the Garda in protest over a change in drug crimes or of the registrars following a change in marriage laws. I think not. – Yours, etc, EOGHAN Ó BRAONÁIN Claremorris, Co Mayo. Sir, – I can’t understand why secondary school teachers are kicking up such a fuss regarding internal marking of students’ continued assignments.
As a lecturer in a British university, and before that in Ireland, internal marking of students’ grades is the norm, indeed it is best practice at third-level in both countries.
The system works because of internal moderation processes and external auditing. Each batch of students’ work is first moderated by a fellow member of staff (samples from fails to firsts are moderated). Additionally, external examiners are responsible for reviewing samples of each batch of assignments and examinations during the course of the academic year. This two-way process ensures staff members are not left feeling vulnerable to accusation of bias towards a particular student.
It’s about time educators in Ireland caught up with the rest of the western world and embraced innovative learning and teaching practices. – Yours, etc, DR STEPHEN KELLY Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool.
Sir, – Could someone please explain to our Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan that the integrity and objectivity are not things to be compromised on in assessment.
We have seen the results of light-touch regulation in the financial sector and independent quality assessment is an essential in manufacturing and service sectors.
Education needs its checks too. – Yours, etc, FERGAL CANTON Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny. Sir, – Geraldine Mooney Simmie (Letters, December 1st) does well to warn us against complacency regarding the increasing impact of the neo-liberal agenda on education policy.
However, her suggestion that the current Junior Cycle proposals are predicated on market values is based on some rather dubious grounds that simply do not add up.
Mooney Simmie seems to be under the mistaken impression that our education policies up to now have been untainted by market ideology. However, any schools have already been, in her own words, “finding their own way within the logic of the markets” and have been adopting “exploratory”, “adventurous” or “cautious” positions.
The Junior Cycle pilot schools, whose principals wrote so honestly in this paper recently, obviously fall into the adventurous category. To suggest these necessary and progressive changes, whose introduction was mooted 10 years ago during the Celtic Tiger era, are motivated by financial considerations is wide of the mark. – Yours, etc, PROF JIM GLEESON Australian Catholic University Brisbane.